Halp of his eight to a



W. MERGER. Turbine Water-Wheel.

No. 223,236. Patented Jan. 6,1880.

u EiTERS. M NGTON. 0.64

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HALF OF HIS RIGHT TO A. J.

STEINMAN, OF SAME PLACE.

TURBINE WATER-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 223,236, dated January 6, 1880.

Application filed September 27, 1879.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM MERGER, of the city of Lancaster, in the county of Lancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Turbine VVater-Wheels; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eXact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed 1o drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of a side elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a top-plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a topplan view, with the gate and dome removed 5 Fig. 4, a detached view of the hub and buckets 5 Fig. 5, a detail view, on an enlarged scale, of the hub and bucket.

This invention has reference to turbine wa' fer-wheels, and has for its object to so con struct the wheel in its several details that the water will be discharged at or near the center thereof, and to prevent the water from work- 2-5 ing against the side of the casing when the wheel is running.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the buckets and hub of the wheel to which said buckets are connected as to give to 0 the water a free discharge and guide the water to the center of the wheel, and at the same time cause the hub to run light and easy by lessening the friction.

A further object is to provide means for the 3 5 escape of the sand and grit, and insure their discharge from between theflange of the dome and rim of the gate, and thereby prevent the sand and grit from choking and cutting the same.

The invention consistsin the several details of construction whereby the above results are obtained, as will be hereinafter described, and subsequently pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanyingdrawings, A represents the dome of the wheel, through which passes the shaft (1, and above the dome, and resting thereon or 011 the follower-box b, is a packingbOX, c, which forms or makes a lid or cover for said follower-box, and at the same time prevents the leakage or wasting of water.

The dome A is cast in a tapering form, which prevents any trembling of the shaft when the wheel is in motion, and the followerboX I) is cast with the dome and at the top thereof.

The gate B rides on the case or curb O, and is cast with three or more lugs, d, upon the upper rim thereof, and projecting inward in a direction near the center of the wheel. These lugs cl give the gate a central bearing and prevent it from sticking when operated.

The gate B is operated by means of an arm,

0, bifurcated at its outer end to receive a friction-roller, f, said arm being rigidly secured to an operating-rod, g, having its hearing at the lower end thereof in the circumferential flange of the dome A, and its upper end passing through a cross-bar, It, secured to short posts 71 cast on the flange of the dome.

The friction-roller f lies between two bear- 7o ing-plates, is, secured to the upper flange or rim of the gate 13, by which arrangement the gate is operated.

The slots or open spaces between the rim or v flange of the dome A and the inner edge of 75 the rim. of the gate B are to prevent sand from choking the gate, which has long been a great trouble in register-gates.

The case or curb G is formed with V-shaped slots 1 to lighten the casting; also, to let sand or grit pass out from the space between the inner edge of the rim of the gate and the flange or rim of the dome. The case or curb O is cast with a circumferential flange, m, and spider or bridge-tree D.

The wheel proper is rigidly connected to the shaft a, and consists of a hub, E, formed with a miter, a, said hub being of tapering form. This miter is about one-eighth of an inch to the inch of diameter of the wheel, and the taper of the hub, as shown, at p, is one inch, or nearly so, to the diameter of the wheel, which gives every wheel the same form or shape.

The inner parts of the buckets F are cast or otherwise connected to the hub E, while the outer and lower points of the buckets are curved inward, as shown at g, which makes the water discharge at the center of the wheel and take the pressure off the outer surface of the buckets. The buckets are made flat upon 100 7 wheel.

It will be seen, therefore, that a decided advantage is gained by forming the hub E with a miter, n, and having the hub tapering from the miter the entire length of the hub or to the bottom thereof, as the miter deflects the water onto the incline face 1) of the hub, thereby taking the water or weight of discharge thereof off the outer surface of the bucket, thus greatly increasing the power of the wheel, and the hub, being tapering the entire length from the miter, has a greater tendency to lessen the friction on the step as the water discharges.

The peculiar form of the buckets, the miter, and incline or tapering form of the hub co-operate in insuring a more perfect operation of this class of water-Wheels.

The lugs 01 upon the upper rim of the gate B bearagainst the circumferential rim or flange 0f the dome, in order to takethe entire circumference of said flange or rim of the dome from contact with the rim of the gate, and thereby lessen thefriction and insure its working easier.

The V-shaped slots or openings only extend partially through the case or curb C-that is to say, a sufficient distance to come down to the lower rim of the gate B, so as to allow the sand and grit to pass out over the flange or rim of the gate, thereby giving the curb a better foundation to rest on.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The gate B, having lugs cl formed on its upper rim, in combination with the dome A, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The tapering dome A, cast with the folcombination with the gate B, having lugs (1, against which the base of the dome bears, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The case or curb 0, formed with \l-shaped slots or openings 1, to allow the escape of the grit or dirt from 'the space between the flange or rim of the dome and that of the gate, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The hub E, cast with miter n and taper 19, extending the entire length of the hub from the miter to the bottom thereof, and having buckets F, with their outer and lower points curved inward, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The gate B, with lugs d and plates 70, in combination with the dome A, rod g, bifurcated arm 0, and roller f, substal'ltially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

' WILLlAM MERCER.

WVitnesses:

ZURIEL Sworn, J. K. BARR.

.4 lower-box I), and having the packlngbox c, in 

